event planning guide student organization policies and event planning … · 2019-12-19 · event...
TRANSCRIPT
2019-2020
Student Organization
Policies and Event
Planning Guide
Contents
Policies...................................................2
Student Organization Policy...................................3
Room Reservation Policy.......................................5
Catering Policy.......................................................8
Alcohol Policy.........................................................9
Finance Policy......................................................10
Advertising Policy.................................................14
Event Planning Guide........................17
Determine the Scope of the Event.......................18
Types of Events……………………………….…....18
USF School of Law Event Planning Support Services…………………………….19
Event Planning Checklists....................................20
Conflict Check………………………………...…….20
Room Reservations & Building Access……....…..20
Calendar Listing……………………………………..21
Funding & Budgeting……………………………….21
Catering and Facilities Requests………………….22
Audio/Visual Requests………………………..……23
Advertising............................................................24
Contracts………………………………………….…24
Appendices
Appendix 1: Sample Event Catering Budgets
Appendix 2: FAQ for Registrants
Appendix 3: Event and Room Request System
Appendix 4: SBA Funding Policies and Procedures
Appendix 5: Direct Deposit Form
Appendix 6: Expense Report for Non-Employees
Appendix 7: Flyer Example
Student Organization
Policies
Thank you for your contribution to the vibrant student life at the University of San
Francisco School of Law. Your leadership and the work that you do to create a
community within and among the Student Bar Association and student organizations
enrich your classmates, the faculty, and the staff.
The policies contained in this document apply to the Student Bar Association, all student
organizations, and individual students planning to engage in any activities described in
this document.
Please contact Stephanie Carlos, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, or `Alakoka
Kailahi, the Program Assistant for Student Affairs, if you have any questions.
Stephanie Carlos
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
415.422.6304
`Alakoka Kailahi
Program Assistant for Student Affairs
415.422.6304
Section 1: Student Organization Policies
All members of the student organizations, which includes the Student Bar Association (the
“SBA”), are expected to read, understand, and comply with the policies contained in this
document, as well as all other University and School of Law policies, including the Non-
Academic Student Conduct Code. A violation of any of these written policies may result in
sanctions.
The events and activities that student organizations host on or off campus are extensions of the
University and the School of Law and are thus subject to the policies governing University
events and activities.
To be recognized as a student organization at the University of San Francisco School of Law,
student organizations must register their student organization with the Office of Student
Affairs, receive confirmation from the Office of Student Affairs, and attend the mandatory
student organization leadership retreat.
The members and officers of student organizations and the SBA must be affiliated with USF in
the following ways:
● Student Organization Members: must be enrolled at the School of Law or a dual degree
program at USF.
● Elected or Appointed Student Organization Officers: must be matriculating and
currently enrolled at the School of Law or a dual degree program at USF.
● Presidents, Co-Presidents, Vice Presidents, Co-Vice Presidents, and Similarly Situated
Student Organization Officers: must be matriculating, currently enrolled at the School
of Law, and in good academic standing.
● SBA Elected Officers: must be matriculating, currently enrolled at the School of Law,
and in good academic standing.
● Student Representatives on Standing Faculty Committees: must be matriculating,
currently enrolled at the School of Law, in good academic standing, and approved by the
Faculty Committee Chairs.
The Office of Student Affairs will review student academic records regularly throughout the
academic year. If a student does not meet the affiliation or academic standard requirements,
the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs will notify that student and ask him or her to step down
from the position.
Student organization officers are responsible for the success of their student organization and
must meet the following expectations:
● Have knowledge of all organizational activities;
● Be accountable for all financial situations that pertain to their organization;
● Make efforts to recruit and retain members of the organization;
● Communicate regularly with the Office of Student Affairs and notify the Office of any
changes in organizational leadership; and
● Abide by the bylaws and terms outlined in the organization’s constitution.
If a student organization intends to spend funds from its University account (see Section 5), at
least two elected or appointed officers must agree to do so, e.g., president and treasurer.
The University of San Francisco is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Under the Internal
Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from directly or indirectly
participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any
candidate for elective public office. As a result, student organizations are subject to the same
prohibitions.
Section 2: Room Reservation Policy
Only two board members will undergo mandatory video training for the Events Management
System (EMS). Once they have completed EMS training, they must notify the Deans’ Office via
email at [email protected]. The two board members that have undergone the
mandatory EMS training will have the authority to reserve spaces or rooms on behalf of their
student organization. Students may not book rooms for any other purpose. Please review the
Event and Room Request System Instructions (see Appendix 3) for information about how to
use the EMS system.
All rooms and event spaces must be requested in advance. Student organizations may not
promote a meeting or event in a location that has not been reserved by the sponsoring student
organization. Student organizations may begin promoting its events only after it has received
confirmation that the reservation has been approved and has been added to the Confirmed
Events google calendar.
Responsibility of Reserved Spaces:
All reserved spaces must be left in the condition that they were found by the student
organization. Failure to return the space to its original condition may result in the revocation of
reservation privileges, and the student organization may be charged cleaning and facilities fees.
All fire safety rules and regulations must be adhered to at all times.
If you are hosting an event outside of these hours or on a weekend, your faculty or staff
supervisor may request that the building or rooms be unlocked during your event by emailing
Donna Creasman, Assistant Director for Administrative Services, at [email protected]. The
email should include information about the room being used, the purpose of the event, the
date and time of the event, and the requested access. Please keep in mind that if all of the
attendees of your event are USF law students, they will already have swipe access to the
building, and external doors do not need to be unlocked.
Zief Law Library Managed Rooms: Conference Study Rooms
Zief Law Library Conference Study Rooms are available for reservation through the Library’s
Circulation Desk.
Registrar Managed Rooms: Classrooms
Approved students can book the following rooms using EMS: Rotunda Classrooms (Room 100,
101, 102, 103, 104, 105), Moot Court Room (200), Conference Rooms (240, 301, 340), and Zief
Classrooms (Zief 002, 012, 017).
Registrar Managed Rooms: Terrace Room and Other Public Spaces
The Registrar manages the reservations for the Terrace Room and other public spaces, which
includes the Student Lounge, the Atrium (the space in the Kendrick entryway before the
Student Lounge), the Rotunda (the common space on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors), Kendrick 212,
and Zief Plaza (the outdoor patio space between the Zief Law Library and Kendrick Hall). This
also includes our 101 Howard branch campus. These spaces are available on a limited basis for
special events that are open to the law school community.
It is the responsibility of the student organization to communicate the responsibilities below to the faculty or staff supervisor:
The Terrace Room & other public spaces listed in previous page, cannot be booked by students.
Student organizations that would like to use one of these spaces must have a faculty or staff
member supervising the event. “Supervising the event” requires that the faculty or staff
supervisor commit to the following responsibilities:
● receive express permission directly from the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to use
the requested space via email;
● reserve the space on behalf of the student organization;
● oversee the event set up and clean up;
● remain in the event space for the duration of the event; and
● ensure that the space is left in the same condition it was found before the event.
Special Rules for the Terrace Room: The faculty or staff member supervising an event in the
Terrace Room is responsible for picking up and returning the Terrace Room keys to the Deans’
Office and ensuring that the window blinds closest to the bookshelves remain lowered to
protect the rare books on display.
Special Rules for the Rotunda: Due to noise, the Rotunda cannot be reserved when classes are
in session.
Special Rules for 101 Howard: Due to noise, some of the spaces in 101 Howard may not be able
to be reserved when class in session. If you would like to have an event at 101 Howard, please
work with the Office of Student Affairs to confirm a time and space for the event.
Once you have a faculty or staff supervisor, they must email [email protected] to
book any of the above rooms on behalf of the student organization. A forwarded supervisor
email will not be accepted.
University and Law School Space for External Audiences
Student organizations that would like to reserve a space at the University or the law school for
an event or conference in which an external audience is invited to attend or participate must
have a faculty or staff member supervising the event. “Supervising the event” requires that the
faculty or staff supervisor commit to the following responsibilities:
● receive express permission directly from the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to use
the requested space via email;
● reserve the space on behalf of the student organization;
● oversee the event set up and clean up;
● remain in the event space for the duration of the event; and
● ensure that the space is left in the same condition it was found before the event.
Once you have a faculty or staff supervisor, they must email [email protected] to
book any of the above rooms on behalf of the student organization. A forwarded supervisor
email will not be accepted.
Facilities Needs in Reserved Rooms:
Students may not remove or move furniture for meetings or events. If the event is in the
Terrace Room or at the law school, student groups may be able to move furniture.
If furniture is being moved, recruit student volunteers and get permission from Donna
Creasman [email protected] and [email protected] at least three weeks
before the event. To move any furniture at the law school, a faculty or staff supervisor must be
present at all times. If the event is on main campus or any of the other branch campuses,
furniture is required to be moved by facilities and this request will be done through EM&GS.
Student organizations must submit a Facilities Request at least three weeks in advance.
Facilities charges are incurred hourly and are costly. EM&GS will give you an estimated cost of
the facilities charge before the event. Student organizations that incur facilities charges are
required to pay those charges.
Section 3: Catering Policy
The University has an exclusive contract for catering services with Bon Appétit Catering for all
events at the Hilltop Campus (including the Law School). At the 101 Howard Campus, the
University has an exclusive catering contract with Peninsula Catering & Events. If there are
extenuating circumstances that require an alternative to Bon Appétit or Peninsula Catering—
such as religious or cultural reasons—please contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to
assist you before placing a catering order.
For periodic club meetings that are closed to the public you may bring baked goods, popcorn,
soda, candy, and ice cream. At no other time should you bring any other food/beverage from a
grocery store, restaurant, or other food provider. Potlucks or bringing other home-cooked food
is also not allowed with the exception of fundraisers located in the Student Boulevard of
Kendrick Hall. If you have questions about this policy, please contact the Assistant Dean for
Student Affairs.
Student organizations receive a 25% discount on their catering orders. Orders must be placed at
least three full business days in advance, otherwise a fee will be incurred. Student organizations
can order from the Bon Appétit or Peninsula Menu, which can be found here:
http://bit.ly/bonapp-menu
http://bit.ly/peninsula-menu
Orders must be placed with EM&GS by emailing [email protected] or calling
415.422.6166. If you have questions or problems with your catering order, please contact
See Appendix 1 for Sample Event Catering Budgets.
Section 4: Alcohol Policy for Student-Sponsored Events
In accordance with Section 6.2(A) of the University of San Francisco Non-Academic Student
Conduct Code (the “Conduct Code”), alcohol shall not be permitted at student-sponsored
events held on campus at the University of San Francisco. However, alcohol may be permitted
at a student-sponsored event on campus at the University of San Francisco School of Law if one
of the following exceptions applies. A student or student organization that plans to serve
alcohol or actually serves alcohol at an event not in accordance with this policy may be in
violation of the Conduct Code and may be subject to sanctions.
1. A School of Law faculty or staff member agrees to supervise the event. “Supervising the
event” requires that the faculty or staff supervisor commit to the following responsibilities:
a. receive express permission from the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to use the
requested space via email;
b. reserve the space on behalf of the student organization;
c. oversee the event set up and clean up;
d. remain in the event space for the duration of the event;
e. ensure that the space is left in the same condition it was found before the event;
f. supervise the alcohol service to ensure responsible alcohol consumption; and
g. ensure that any unused alcohol, which has been donated or purchased, is stored at the
School of Law for a future event for that student organization
2. The student organization is able to prove adequate funds to serve alcohol at events due to
costs associated with having alcohol at events
Costs associated with alcohol consumption at events
There are large costs associated with serving alcohol at events on campus. Below are the
minimum costs (not including alcohol) to serve alcohol at an event on campus through EM&GS:
Bartender minimum cost of $165 per a bartender for 50 people
Bar set up fee of $75 for beer and wine, $150 for full bars
ID Checker at 31.20/hr
We discourage student
organizations from serving
alcohol at on campus events.
Alumni and other external
constituents do not expect
alcohol to be served at these
events. If you must serve alcohol
at your event, email
ensure your organization has
adequate funds to do so.
Section 5: Finance Policy
It is the responsibility of the Student Organization Treasurer or assigned board member to be
familiar with the all finance policies and communicate as a representative on behalf of your
student organization members.
University Accounts
1. The SBA manages the funds generated from the mandatory SBA fee paid by all law
students in its own University account (“FOAP”). The SBA provides funding to student
organizations for its events according to its policies and procedures (see Appendix 4).
2. Some student organizations maintain their own FOAPs because they have collected and
spent a significant amount of money throughout the academic year, i.e., more than
$500, or a restricted donation made to the student organization in the past. These
student organizations include American Constitution Society, APALSA, BLSA, Business
Law Association, Christian Legal Community, Criminal Law Society, ELSAS, International
Law Society, INCBA, Jewish Law Student Association, La Raza, LELSA, MENALSA, Pilipino
American Law Society, PILF, Pride Law, SAALSA, SELA, SILSA, STEPS, TESLA, Vietnamese
American Law Society, and WLA. If your student organization does not already have a
FOAP but would like one, please contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
3. Student organizations may not open or maintain off-campus bank accounts.
4. The Deans’ Office/Student Affairs provides general oversight of the SBA account and
student organization FOAPs. To request your current budget, please email Esther
Sprague, Senior Director of Administration and Finance at [email protected].
Collection of Funds
Student organizations may not be in possession of more than $500 in cash or checks. If a
student organization expects to collect more than $500 in cash or checks for any single event,
the student organization must notify the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to receive approval
for such activity.
Student organizations collecting $500 or more of cash and checks on campus for student-
related activities, purchases, or donations must bring the money to the Deans’ Office on the
same day at the end of each business day, or if the Deans’ Office is closed, the following
business day. The Deans’ Office will securely store the money until it can be deposited into the
proper account.
Student organizations are not allowed to use Venmo to collect funds. CASHNet is a credit/debit
card payment implemented by the University of San Francisco. All payments made through
CASHNet are deposited directly to student organization FOAPs. To set up your CASHNet
webpage, please email [email protected] and [email protected]. Student
Organizations without FOAP accounts cannot accept Venmo as a method of payment. Student
organizations who would like a FOAP account for this purpose, please email
When the Deans’ Office deposits funds into FOAP on behalf of a student organization, specific
accounting practices must be followed. These accounting practices require that the student
organization obtain the following information in an itemized spreadsheet:
1. Name of person paying or donating
2. Item being purchased (if applicable)
3. Price paid
4. Name of person receiving the money
5. Date payment was received
6. Payment Type (cash, check, etc.)
7. Documentation that explains the reason or purpose for the collection of funds, i.e.,
please provide any flyers or promotional emails about the activity related to your
collection of funds
Contracts and Capital Improvements
Student organizations that intend to enter into an off-site contract or purchase items involving
capital improvements must receive express approval from the Deans’ Office and other
University departments. Requests must be made to the Deans’ Office via
[email protected] at least six weeks in advance of the event or desired purchase
date.
Check Requests and Off-Campus Invoices
When student organizations need to request a check or pay an invoice for an event off campus,
such requests for payment must be made to the Deans’ Office at least three weeks in advance
of the event by emailing [email protected].
Donations
If your student organization plans to seek donations outside of the School of Law for an event,
you must contact both the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs ([email protected])
and the Office of Development and External Relations ([email protected]) before
contacting potential donors.
We want to ensure all gifts made to your student organization are able to be deposited and are
tax deductible for the donor. This is unable to happen if these policies are not followed.
Donations to student groups cannot be done in exchange for services (for example the ticket
price of an event is NOT a tax deductible donation) nor can they be received via Venmo or
CashNet.
Donations made online at https://www.usfca.edu/makeagift/law must have the student
organization as the designation or else the funds will not be deposited into your account.
Donations made via check must be made out to “USF School of Law” with the student
organization name in the memo line. If a check is not made out to “USF School of Law”, it
cannot be deposited. If a check does not have the name of the student organization in the
memo line, it will not be deposited into your account. For the checks to be deposited, they
must be returned to the Office of Student Affairs.
Cash gifts should be made via envelopes provided by the Office of Development and External
Relations and must include Name, CWID, Designation, and Amount. To retrieve these
envelopes, please email [email protected]. For the gifts to be deposited, the
envelopes must then be returned to the Office of Student Affairs. Failure to do any of the above
will not allow us to deposit these gifts.
Raffles for fundraising purposes are in violation of the School of Law policy and are therefore
not allowed. Instead, we recommend a silent auction. The Office of Development and External
relations is more than happy to help facilitate donation items.
If you have any questions about the above policies, please contact the Office of Development
and External Relations at [email protected].
Failure to adhere to proper protocol regarding handling of donations may constitute an Honor
Code violation.
Reimbursements
Any student who has been approved for funding by the SBA or the School of Law will be paid
through reimbursement only. Student organization Treasurers are responsible for submitting all
reimbursement requests on behalf of other student organization members.
Student organizations who have been approved for funding by the SBA should refer to the SBA
Funding Policies and Procedures (see Appendix 4) for information about requesting
reimbursements from the SBA.
Student organizations that receive funding from a USF administrative office must receive
written confirmation from that office about the amount of funding and the restrictions for that
funding before the event. This information must then be forwarded to
[email protected] for the invoice to be paid. Treasurers requesting reimbursement
for approved purchases must follow the requirements listed below. Failure to follow these
requirements may result in a delay or denial of your request for reimbursement.
1. Complete the Expense Report for Non-Employees (see Appendix 6). All fields must
be completed, except the Fund/Org/Account/Program, USF Contact Person, and
Department Authorization Signature fields.
2. Collect original, itemized receipts for each expense. General credit card receipts that
indicate the total amount spent are insufficient.
Treasurers submit your members Expense Report and itemized receipts within two weeks of the event. You may submit these documents in hard copy to the Deans' Office in Kendrick 328 or via email to [email protected]. Reimbursements will be mailed to the address listed on the Expense Report. If you prefer to receive payment via direct deposit, complete the Direct Deposit Form (see Appendix 5) and submit it with your Expense Report and receipts.
Section 6: Advertising Policy
Student organizations are prohibited from advertising their events until a room reservation has
been made and a space has been approved for use. For example, a request to use the Terrace
Room does not mean that you have been approved to use the Terrace Room. Put another way,
you cannot advertise an event that you hope to organize in the Terrace Room unless you have
received confirmation that you are entitled to use that space. Events on the Confirmed Events
Calendar can only be advertised.
Student Organizations are responsible for printing their own posters, flyers, and programs.
Flyers
Events, meetings, and activities may be promoted by posting flyers on the School of Law
Announcements and Events bulletin boards. Flyers must comply with the following
requirements, or they will be removed and discarded. Flyer example found in Appendix 7.
● Flyers must include information about the event’s university affiliation, School of Law
affiliation, or student organization affiliation.
● Flyers must include the event date, a deadline to RSVP if required, and contact
information (name and email address).
● Flyers must include the following messaging regarding disabilities:
o “If you need a disability-related accommodation, please contact the Assistant
Dean of Student Affairs office at [email protected] at least seven
days in advance of the event.”
● Flyers may only be posted on the two Dean’s Office Bulletin boards located on the first
floor of Kendrick Hall (Student Boulevard and Student Lounge).
● Student organizations may also ask administrative offices, faculty, and other student
organizations to post flyers on their bulletin boards.
Posters
In addition to the flyers, student organizations may have one poster mounted on an easel for an
event. The SBA has four easels for student organizations’ use. Please contact the SBA to reserve
an easel for your event. If all of the SBA easels are being used, please email either
[email protected] or [email protected] to inquire about an available easel.
Posters must comply with the following requirements, or they will be removed and discarded.
● You may have a maximum of one poster on an easel per event, meeting, or activity.
● The maximum size for all posters is 2” x 3”.
● Posters on easels can be displayed for a maximum of one week.
● Posters must include information about the event’s university affiliation, School of Law
affiliation, or student organization affiliation.
● Posters must include the event date, a deadline to RSVP if required, and contact
information (name and email address).
Student organizations must promptly remove all flyers and posters once the event has
concluded. If a student organization seeks an exception to this policy, please contact the
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
Digital Signage
School of Law Digital Signage, found on the two television screens in the Student Lounge of
Kendrick Hall, is managed by the Office of Student Affairs and USF Web Services. Web and
Digital Communications reserves the right to make decisions about what is and isn't
appropriate for posting and when a posting will appear in the announcement rotation. All
events posted in the events section should be open to the entire law student community.
To learn how to create and submit Digital Signage please use the two following links:
1. SOL Digital Signage - Ad & Event Requirements: bit.ly/SOLDigitalSignageRequirements
2. SOL Digital Signage - Ad Submission: bit.ly/SOLDigitalSignageAdForm
External USFCA Calendar
The external marketing calendar is for calendar entries posted on the usfca website. The
audience for this calendar is prospective students, alumni, and the general public. It is
important to note that not all events should be added to this calendar, but events that show
the life and culture of the law school are important to include. For example, student
organization meetings should not go on the external website, but events like the Black History
Month Reception, the Judges of Color Panel, or the WLA Tea should. This must be done THREE
WEEKS before an event. To get your event on the usfca external marketing calendar, please
email [email protected]. Your email must include the following information:
● Event Name (please note the reservation name in EMS must be the same as the event
title, if it is not please change it or email [email protected] to change it)
● Description (this includes headshots of panelists, bios, event details like date, time,
location)
● RSVP link
● Person or email alias to contact if there are any questions with their contact information
Electronic Email Invitations and Registration Pages
Electronic email invitations are used for events that have an external audience (i.e. alumni). To
send out an electronic email invitation, you must have a registration page that is created by the
university through cVent. This must be done SIX WEEKS before an event. In order to send an
electronic email invitation you must have your own distribution list. This list can include internal
and external constituents and there are several student groups that have already done this
through networking and tabling. If you need help creating a constituent list or have any
questions, email [email protected]. To begin the process of creating a registration page
and/or sending an electronic email invitation, email to [email protected] the
following information:
● Event Name (please note the reservation name in EMS must be the same as the event
title, if it is not please change it or email [email protected] to change it)
● Description (this includes headshots of panelists, bios, event details like date, time,
location)
● Person to contact if there are any questions with their contact information
● Request for registration page- we will create a custom rsvp link
If you are unable to provide a distribution list, but require a registration page, we can add your
event the newsletter that goes out to all law alumni. With this, you are required to have a
calendar entry on the external usfca calendar (see above). Email [email protected]
to get your event on the external marketing calendar.
This Week at USF
Please submit your event to http://bit.ly/ThisWeekatUSF_Submit no later than Friday at 12:00
p.m. so your announcement can be included in the following week’s edition of This Week at
USF which is sent every Monday to students, staff, and faculty.
● Requirements for Event Announcements:
○ Title of Event
○ Sponsoring Student Organization
○ Date
○ Time
○ Location
○ Link to RSVP (if any)
○ 1-3 sentence description of the event
○ Flyer
○ Email for point of contact for any event questions
SBA Newsletter
Please email announcement to the SBA Secretary at [email protected] no later than
Thursday at 12:00pm to include in the SBA Newsletter sent every week on Sunday. Please
include all relevant information (use This Week at USF requirements for reference) regarding
your event and if you wish to include a flyer or photo, please make sure it is a jpeg. format.
Student Organization
Event Planning
Guide
This document is an event planning guide that will help you to plan a successful and well
attended event.
Please contact Stephanie Carlos, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, `Alakoka Kailahi,
the Program Assistant for Student Affairs, if you have any questions.
Stephanie Carlos
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
`Alakoka Kailahi
Program Assistant for Student Affairs
Student Organization Event Planning Guide
1. Determine Scope of Event
2. Types of Events
3. USF School of Law Event Planning
Support Services
4. Event Planning Checklists
5. Conflicts Check
6. Room Reservations & Building
Access
7. Calendar Listing
8. Funding & Budgeting
a. Sample Event Budgets
9. Catering and Facilities Requests
10. Parking Passes
11. Audio/Visual Requests
12. Advertising
13. Contracts
______________________________________________________________________________
1. Determine the Scope of the Event
As you consider planning an event on behalf of your student organization, make sure you
decide the following:
● What is the purpose of the event?
● Who will be featured at your event?
● Who will be attending your event?
● Where will the event be held?
● Have you chosen a date and time that will maximize the attendance for your event?
● How much will your event cost?
● Do you have funds to pay for the event?
● Do you (and your co-organizers) have sufficient time to plan a successful event?
2. Types of Events
There are many types of events. However, for event planning purposes, it may be easiest to
categorize the events according to your planning needs in this way:
● Student Organization Meetings
● Panel
● Panel followed by a reception
● Student-Alumni Mixer
● Speed Networking Event
The USF School of Law wants each student organization equal opportunity for event success.
Event dates will be under scrutiny for maximum productivity without over utilizing resources,
attendees, and funds. To meet this goal, events will be planned in a more structured way
outlined in this guide and the Event Planning Checklist. There is no limit on the number of
lunchtime events or meetings per week. Therefore, it is advised that you plan any evening
event well in advance to avoid conflicts.
3. USF School of Law Event Planning Support Services
If your student organization would like to host an event that requires moderate or extensive
planning, which includes external community members, such as judges, alumni, or local
practitioners as speakers or audience members, the University of San Francisco School of Law is
thrilled to support your efforts by offering event planning support services and limited financial
assistance. However, requests for any of the services described below for each of the offices
must be made at least FOUR WEEKS BEFORE your desired event date. Please note that some of
these services may take more time to provide than others and will require more than four
weeks notice.
That is, if you do not request these services at least four weeks before your event, these
services will not be available to your student organization. We will, however, work with you to
find a date outside of the four-week deadline, so that you can access these services.
For career-related events where attendees will have the opportunity to network with alumni or
other practicing lawyers, or otherwise learn from practitioners about their practice areas, email
the Office of Career Services at [email protected]. The Office of Career Services can
provide the following:
❖ Consultation on ideas for potential events
❖ Ideas for introductions to speakers or external bar associations
❖ Facilitation of law firms hosts for your event
❖ Parking permits (if your event requires more than three permits)
❖ Advertisement in OCS newsletter and on OCS social media
❖ Serve as a faculty/staff supervisor
❖ Financial assistance in an amount up to $200 per year for each student organization,
excluding the SBA or PILF, which can be used for food and beverages and other event
related expenses
For events related to the law school’s mission to promote social justice, health and wellness, or
diversity and inclusion, email the Office of Student Affairs at [email protected]. The
Office of Student Affairs can provide the following services:
❖ Calendaring check for conflicts
❖ Room scheduling for Deans’ office managed rooms
❖ Payment of EM&GS invoices
❖ Adding events to This Week at USF email and to digital signage
❖ Student reimbursement requests for student organization events
❖ Financial assistance if the event promotes the law school’s mission
For events that include alumni and external audiences, email the Office of Development and
External Relations at [email protected]. The Office of Development and Alumni Relations
can provide the following services:
❖ Alumni contact lists based on geographic and practice area
❖ Name badges and tent cards
❖ Pop up banners and tablecloths for events
❖ Thank you cards and gifts for alumni that participate in events
If your event requires Continuing Legal Education (CLE) certification, email Kenji Quijano in
Moot Court & Co-Curricular Programs at [email protected].
University of San Francisco, Office of Marketing and Communications can provide the
following services:
❖ Online, paid or unpaid registration pages for select events involving a substantial
amount of alumni invitees (requires six weeks notice) via [email protected]
❖ Adding events to the usfca external marketing calendar (must have a registration page)
4. Event Planning Checklists
The Event Planning Checklists are step by step guides for planning your events. This document
will be made available to student organizations after the Student Leadership Retreat. The
templates are categorized by type of event: student organization meeting, on-campus panel
with an internal audience, on-campus panel with an external audience, on-campus student-
alumni mixer, and off-campus event. It is the student organization’s responsibility manage all
logistics for their events.
If something is not covered by this guide or for further questions, email
[email protected] with your question and you will be directed to the appropriate
party.
5. Conflicts Check
The first step for any student organization event is the conflict check. There are many events
and activities happening at the law school throughout the year. To be successful, an event must
be well attended. Thus, student organizations must check the SBA Calendar and School of Law
Calendar by emailing the SBA Secretary at [email protected] and the Office of Student
Affairs at [email protected] in one email to schedule an event.
6. Room Reservations and Building Access
Students should review Section 2 of the Student Organization Policies to understand our Room
Reservation Policy.
Once a room reservation request has been made through EMS, the Law Registrar’s Office
usually confirms room requests within two business days. However, it will take three to five
business days to confirm room requests that are made during the first and last two weeks of
the semester and during final exams.
Kendrick Hall is unlocked Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am–6:45 pm and on Friday from
8:00 am–5:00 pm. Classrooms remain unlocked Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am–10:00
pm, and on Fridays from 8:00 am–9:00 pm. Outside of these hours, the building is available
from 5:00 am–1:00 am via swipe card access using your student ID.
The Zief Law Library classrooms remain unlocked Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am–11:00 pm, Friday from 8:00 am–9:00 pm, Saturday from 8:00 am–9:00 pm, and Sunday from 10:00 am–11:00 pm. Please check with the Zief Library as building hours change throughout the
term. For current hours, please check the Zief Law Library’s website: http://www.usfca.edu/law/library/.
If you are hosting an event outside of these hours or on a weekend, your faculty or staff
supervisor may request that the building or rooms be unlocked during your event by emailing
Donna Creasman, Administrative Coordinator in the Deans’ Office at [email protected].
Learn more about what your email should include in Section 2.
To obtain access to student organization offices, the current student organization president
should email Donna Creasman with the names and CWIDs of the students needing access.
To obtain access to the co-curricular program offices (IPLB, Maritime Law Journal, Law Review
and Moot Court Programs) students should email Kenji Quijano, Program Coordinator for Moot
Court and Co-Curricular Programs at [email protected].
7. Calendar Listing
The Office of Student Affairs handles the calendar for student organizations. If you want your
event to appear on the USF calendar and in the “This Week at USF” newsletter, email the Office
of Student Affairs at [email protected]. Your event details may be edited by the
Deans’ Office before publishing.
If the event should be marketed to an external audience (e.g. alumni and other external
constituents), please email [email protected] to get your event on the external marketing
calendar. Learn more about what information needed in Section 6.
8. Funding and Budgeting
Student Organization Treasurers and or assigned board member is responsible for the
budgeting of your student organization. Students should review Section 5 of the Student
Organization Policies document to understand our Finance Policy. Students should also refer to
Appendix 4, the SBA Student Organization Funding Policies and Procedures for information
about how to request funding and receive reimbursement from the SBA.
Student organizations should create an itemized budget of expected expenses and an itemized
accounting to demonstrate the funding sources that will be used to pay the cost of the event.
Students should consider the following when creating their budgets:
● Catering
● Facility requests to move furniture
● Decorations
● Advertisements
● Invitations
● Parking passes (if more than three are required or you would like to request no-
cite parking for the Kendrick parking garage)
Available sources of funding include:
SBA : if the event is open to all law students
Office of Career Services: if the event is career-related and attendees will have the opportunity
to network with alumni or other practicing lawyers, or otherwise learn from practitioners about
their practice areas.
Office of Student Affairs: if the event is related to the law school’s mission to promote social
justice, health and wellness, or diversity and inclusion.
For funds that are being collected for ticket sales, student organizations may use cVent, an
online platform that allows people to pay by credit card. If your student organization would like
to use cVent, please contact [email protected] to inquire about the availability of this
service for your event. This service is only available if your event is more than four weeks away.
For funds that are being collected from Student Boulevard fundraisers, student organizations
with FOAP accounts are required to utilize CASHNET, an online platform that allows people to
pay by credit card. Email `Alakoka Kailahi at [email protected] to set up a CASHNet account.
Venmo is not allowed as a source of payment for any student organization sales. Please refer to
Section 5 for more information.
9. Catering and Facilities Requests
Students should review Section 3 and 4 of the Student Organization Policies document to
understand our Catering and Alcohol Policies.
EM&GS will email the final invoice, which will include all catering and facility charges to the
student who placed the order a few weeks after the event is over. In rare cases, student
organizations will need to pay for its catering services via cash, credit, or check. Your Event
Manager from EM&GS will be able to process this form of payment. If your student
organization has a FOAP or you have received funding from a USF administrative office, the
student organization Treasurer should work with the Office of Student Affairs to transfer the
necessary funds to pay for the invoice via [email protected].
The final invoice also includes a link to a satisfaction survey related to the quality of food and
service that Bon Appétit or Peninsula Catering* has provided for the event.
*Peninsula Catering is for 101 Howard campus events only. Refer to Section 2: Room
Reservation Policy for more information.
10. Parking Passes
Student organizations can request up to three free parking passes if they submit their request
at least two business days in advance of their event.
One student organization representative should email the event title, date and time of the
event, the exact number of passes needed (1-3), and the names of the event participants to
[email protected] at least three business days prior to the event, and copy
[email protected] on the request so that our offices can confirm that this is a law
school event.
Below is a template for parking permit requests via email.
The passes will be available for pick up from the Office of Public Safety, located on the 5th floor
of the University Center during office hours (M-Th 8:30 am–5:00 pm & F 8:30 am–4:30 pm). The
Office of Public Safety may be contacted at 415.422.4222.
If your event requires more than three parking passes, you may email [email protected] to
request parking passes on your behalf so that your student organization doesn’t incur the extra
cost. Otherwise, student organizations are responsible for purchasing parking permits for their
guest speakers ($20 for a daily permit) with cash or credit card in person at the parking office.
If requests are made after the two-business-day deadline, student organizations will be
required to pay the regular $20 for a daily permit.
11. Audio/Visual Requests
Student organizations may use the computer equipment in the classroom and Terrace Room,
but a designated student from that organization must receive training from ITS prior to the
event. Only students who receive the training can check out an AV key and use the classroom
technology.
This training should take approximately 15 minutes. If you cannot attend one of the scheduled
times, you must contact Law ITS at least 48 hours before your event to arrange a time for one
on one training. Please contact the ITS Help Desk at [email protected] or 415.422.6668 with
requests.
Dear USF Parking:
Please issue a temporary parking permit for a guest of [Your Organization Here],
School of Law.
Guest: [Guest Name]
Date: [Date At least Two Business Days Before Event]
Time: All Day
Lot: Kendrick
A representative from the [Your organization here] will pick up the permit from the
Office of Public Safety upon its availability at University Center 5th Floor.
Once a student has received training from ITS and the Deans’ Office receives verification that
the student has received the training, that student will be able to check out an AV key from the
Deans’ Office.
12. Advertising
Students should review Section 6 of the Student Organization Policies document to understand
our Advertising Policy. Students should begin advertising their event as early as possible to
provide sufficient notice to the entire law school community.
To Alumni...If you intend to invite alumni to your event, please email [email protected] at
least 6 weeks before your event. To invite alumni or other legal professionals, consider the
appropriate method of advertising, e.g., emailing flyers through known networks, mass emails
to alumni, USF branded email invitations, announcements before class, etc.
To Student Body...Students who would like their event to be advertised in the SBA newsletter
should email SBA Secretary at [email protected] by Thursday at 12:00pm.
To Law School Community (Students, Faculty, Staff)....If you have previously communicated with
the Office of Student Affairs about calendaring your event and your event was submitted
through http://bit.ly/ThisWeekatUSF_Submit by Friday at 12:00 p.m., your announcement can
be included in the following week’s edition of This Week at USF that goes out every Monday.
To Digital Signage (Student Lounge, Kendrick Hall)… If you would like to submit an ad for digital
signage, please follow the bit.ly/SOLDigitalSignageRequirements and submit via
bit.ly/SOLDigitalSignageAdForm.
13. Contracts
Students are not allowed to sign contracts on behalf of student organizations at the University
of San Francisco School of Law due to liability. Student organization leaders interested in
utilizing an outside vendor or independent contractor for an event must make an appointment
at least eight weeks in advance of proposed event date with the Assistant Dean of Student
Affairs. Email [email protected] to schedule an appointment to discuss the purpose,
budget, process and requirements of a contract proposal. The contract proposal, once
submitted by the student organization leader, takes seven weeks to be approved by the Deans’
Office, University General Counsel, and University Risk Management.